Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu/Wayne Chiridza, Showbiz Reporters
The annual Ibumba Festival roars to life today with three days of art, music and sport lined up at the main venue Stanley Hall and Square in Makokoba, Bulawayo.
Running under the theme #Nonstop in the Lokitshi!, Ibumba attendees will see a mixture of artistes such as Cal_Vin, Msizkay, Sotsha Moyo, Desire Moyoxide’s Demons of Damscus, Thandi Dlana, Bolamba Culture Birds, DJ Mzoe, Ramsey Kays and Cool Crooners performing.
Explaining the theme, festival director Saimon Mambazo Phiri said: “The world may want us to stop, but we keep going. The theme #Nonstop is our gentle reminder to never stop creating and producing.
“We must keep going against the likelihoods. 2019 has not been smooth sailing but because we keep at it #nonstop, we are able to sail through,” said Mambazo.
“Our passion fuels our purpose to keep going on to create new work. We are living and breathing the mantra of #nonstop. In the beginning we all wanted to start, when we started, we faced challenges and some stopped, but we prefer to continue.”
Other than music, there will be workshops for artistes, fashion shows, poetry, theatre, dance, comedy and all other forms of art.
Encouraging people to come in their numbers, Mambazo said there were emerging artistes on the programme that need the audience’s support.
“This year, we also present many emerging artistes, we give them a platform on which to shine and an audience who will understand and appreciate their prodigious abilities.
“These new ‘seeds’ need nutrients and sunlight (audiences) to thrive,” said Mambazo.
Some of the fresh highlights for this year’s festival are a new play by Lady Tshawe 6:55 and artistes Zhezhingtons, Ngoma Ingoma, Chipman, Western Khazins, Super Geeks, Vuyo Brown, AmaKings, Snippers, Fish M McSwagg and Tebza.
In a gesture of gratitude to the township and constituency of Makokoba which has hosted the festival since its inception, there will be a football tournament that starts on Sunday.
“Finally, in a gesture of gratitude to the township and constituency that has so generously hosted our festival since inception, we have excavated a little deeper into sport and arts with the community football tournament which will kick off on the 22nd of December #NonStop until the final on Christmas Eve. This initiative will have lots of arts activities marinating it,” said Mambazo. Run by Siyaya Arts, Ibumba Festival, a community arts festival has been held in Bulawayo since 1996 with the aim of bringing about sustenance and viability in the local arts industry through providing a platform for learning, training, collaboration, and sharing.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu